The Outsiders
by Trans
Summary: My take on a Hiei x Shizuru relationship. or lack there of. Two people more similar than you'd think, just wanting to protect their loved ones.


The observers 

**AN:** Absolutely nothing happens in this story and with the characters involved that is no surprise. This is my take on a distant Hiei x Shizuru relationship (pretty much nonexistent).

Shizuru stepped out onto the deck and closed the door behind her, leaving just a small crack open so she could hear the voices still speaking inside. Fingers lingering on the glass a moment longer, she spies her reflection, admiring the stoic expression on her face.

"Hm."

Her feet were bare, tolerant of the cold concrete that made the deck floor, as she crossed to lean over the wooden railing. Eyes trailing the long path to the ground, Shizuru turned her back to the view of the city, and instead continued to gaze at her reflection. Or so someone would have thought if they were watching.

Shizuru smirked. The wind blew by with a low whistle, but a loud comment could be heard through the ajar door, followed by soft giggling. She didn't like intruding, and besides she wanted a smoke, and that was why she had retreated to the deck.

"Little Bro…" He was her brother. Just like she was his sister.

Shizuru pulled the thin cigarette that was resting behind her ear to her mouth. It took another moment to fish the silver lighter from her Jean's pocket. It was the last memento she had from her fleeting love at the Dark Tournament. Then again, all love was fleeting.

She could imagine just how she ended up with nothing but memories. The men she always fell for were ones she could never have. Secretive, with a past, and always… someone who never even entertained the idea of a relationship, just like her.

Shizuru pushed the cap up with her thumb, praying that it would still ignite, just like she did every time she pushed up that cap. Because she knew that the day that it emptied, she wouldn't keep it. That would be the same day she said goodbye.

_Shink._ The flame was small, wavering with the breeze and threatening to die. She cupped her hand on one side of her mouth and brought the tiny light to the tip of her cigarette. Just before contact it sputtered into nothing.

"Damn," she murmurs. Trying once more, no more fire will come, and she sighs. Closing her eyes she closed the lid and watches the light gleam over its shined surface. "You were a bastard anyway Sakyo." Without watching were it will land, she tosses it over her shoulder.

Cigarette still firm between her lips, she leans heavily into the banister, trying to even recall where she'd have an extra lighter. Of course…that meant going back in. Entertaining the happy couple. Enduring the sickening tirades of mushy romance spewed by Kazuma.

_Sizzzz…_

The tip of the cigarette glows a mean red, before fading, the paper curling instead. A tiny wisp of smoke rises gently with the wind. Inhaling deeply before commenting, she savors the stress relief, and then exhales.

"Is the roof comfortable?" Her voice doesn't rise any higher than any of her former comments but she knows that her watcher is listening. Was in fact the whole time.

"Hn." Sliding down to perch perfectly balanced in a crouching position on the farthest reach of the deck railing, he appears sullen, with narrowed eyes. Just like last time and the time before.

Without any shown reaction, Shizuru continues to smoke her cigarette, and doesn't attempt a conversation. The talk inside carried to their ears well enough, and those were the words they were interested in.

"Yukina, my love…you should join us for dinner again tomorrow."

"That is very sweet Kazuma."

Shizuru coughed on some flem rising in her throat. Covering her reaction she just takes a longer drag this time, smoke falling from her parted lips in a ghostly curtain.

More silence. The brunette and the glaring shadow. Nothing changes for nearly half an hour except the colors of the sky. It is darkening, oranges and reds scaring the blue surface. The sun dips to its lowest degrees, making blazing white halos bite at the edges of the two outsiders.

"What will you do if she stays the night?" Shizuru finally asks, night seeming imminent by the darkening heavens.

His head cocks towards the sister, eyes flickering to the droll expression, and then back towards the doors. The voices continued, oblivious to the time passing by, ah how love is…

"Send her home," he grunts. The order is directed to Shizuru. He wouldn't do it himself of course, that would reveal he was watching, and that alone would raise unwanted questions. In reality it was none of his business. It was none of her business either.

"I won't." Shizuru says plainly. Tossing the butt onto the concrete, her eyes watch it sizzle out. "You watch her every time she is here."

Silence as an answer.

Shizuru watched over her brother too. She liked to think that she could guide him to do things better than she had. To not make the same mistakes, and even though he was much stronger than her now, she hadn't outgrown her habit of protecting him.

"You watch him too." Gruff words spoken abruptly.

A smile, diminutive, and careless crosses her face.

Why was it that she could never fall for the right man? Always the same. Dangerous, detached, and always…

"Make sure he keeps his hands off her," he threatens.

…And always wanted her sibling dead.

Glancing to her right, Shizuru lifts her head and makes a brief eye contact. "I won't." Not even flinching under the glare she received, more giggling filtered out from inside.

The sun would be done setting soon and neither made a move to leave their spot. "They seem happy…" she stated what one could gather as the apparent.

A distasteful scowl twitched on the shadow's lips. His eyes rolling up to take note of the progression of the sky into darkness. Another fifteen minutes and the stars would be visible.

The talk inside turned softer, loving almost, not even stopping to wonder that they could have eavesdroppers. It was private moments, the kind that had Shizuru smoking an extra cigarette every night. The kind that drew the other to the roof.

And the sun disappeared, signaling the end of day and the beginning of night. Pushing off from the railing, Shizuru walked slowly back towards the glassy door that separated the unaware happy, from the dutiful protectors.

"She'll be here tomorrow," Shizuru whispered as she began to slide the door open. Looking back over her shoulder at the still crouching figure, her eyes relaxed, and she smiled. "Hiei next time, just skip the roof."

Kazuma was her brother. Just like Yukina was his sister.


End file.
